PROJECT FOR SETTING UP DEHYDRATION UNITS FOR

FOOD PROCESSING IN RURAL AREAS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Objective of Project
FICSI plans to set up 50 skilling cum incubation centres all over India for dehydration of
important crops like onions, tomatoes and coriander as well as fruits and fishes. The
incubation centres will help the farmers to improve the shelf life of their product and get
better price in the market. The project is a step toward achieving the object of Government of
India to doubling the farmers’s income by 2022. Skilling will be imparted to women and
youth with background of agriculture seeking additional sources of income.

The project will help in:

 Reducing price volatility and ensuring price stabilization of basic vegetables like
tomato, onion and potato
 Increasing share of consumer’s rupee to farmers through creation of dehydration
cluster units and integrated value chain
 Reducing dependence on Cold Storages
 Increasing export share of value added products

Technology
FICSI will implement the project using Hybrid Solar Greenhouse Dryer developmed by
Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology (IIFPT) which is a pioneer research and
educational institution under the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of
India.
The IIFPT developed dryer unit has a poly-house made up of polycarbonate sheet and
consists of tray racks for keeping products, it is also equipped with Infra Red lamps , hot air
blower, solar panel, control unit and exhauster. Inverters and batteries are fixed for
uninterrupted power supply.

Funding
FICSI plans to setup 50 dehydration units which would cost around Rs. 5 crore. The
infrastructure cost is proposed be covered under the SHIRD Scheme of Union Ministry of
Food Processing (50%) and Private Training Providers.

We are planning to train tentatively 25,000 candidates in the 1st year of the project. The total
cost estimated for training the candidates is Rs. 7.75 crores (As per common cost norms).
Geography
The project would cover all the 4 regions of India. The states that the project focuses on are:
Assam, Bihar, Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Kerala, Maharashtra,
Nagaland, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

Duration
The project duration will be 16 hours and will be completed in 12 months.
 PROJECT FOR SETTING UP DEHYDRATION UNITS FOR
FOOD PROCESSING IN RURAL AREAS

I. Current status of Food Processing in India

India is the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world and world’s largest producer
of bananas, papaya, mangoes and guavas, and the second largest producer of potatoes, green peas,
cabbages and cauliflowers. Despite of the fact, it is estimated that the level of processing in F&V is
only about 2% and the wastage is about 25% which is due to lack of modern harvesting practices and
inadequate cold chain infrastructure. Similar is the case with fish and marine sector in which India
ranks second in production due to presence of long coastline, yet it only has 8% share of processing
levels. Overall processing in food sector is also very low (<10%) as compared to other countries. A
glimpse of key sector highlights and growth drivers in Agro-food processing sector is depicted in fig.
1.

(source: Invest India, 2019)

Fig. 1: Sector Highlights & Growth Drivers in Agro-Food Processing Sector

I. Current Challenges and Solutions

Despite of attractive strengths of Indian agriculture sector there are several problems existing in the
entire supply chain of agricultural produce which needs to be addressed urgently for example fruits
and vegetables are the most vital produce in our agriculture sector but the main challenge to preserve
their nutrients is their perishability. These are easily prone to spoilage either by physical, enzymatic or
biological processes. Moreover, fruits and vegetables are seasonal in nature, in peak harvesting season
the traders/middlemen in this field force the farmers to sell their produce at alarmingly low prices
whereas on the other hand common man have to witness high prices of very basic vegetables in off-
season or due to any sudden agricultural calamity like drought, floods etc.

Some of the major challenges faced by Agro-Food sector are mentioned below:

 Lower processing levels

 Low quality and limited value addition of processed agri produce
 High wastage of fresh agricultural produce
 Gaps in supply chain
 Lack of storage facilities and cold-chain infrastructure
 Lack of training and skilling culture at farm level as well at industrial level
 Uncontrollable food inflation of basic vegetables like onion, tomato, potato and other produce

Efforts were made by various government initiatives in the past to overcome these challenges and
make Indian agrarian economy the best in the world.

II. Dehydration
To decrease post-harvest losses and employing value addition to food industry, food
processing/preservation understanding is a must. It can be done through various methods such as
fermentation, canning, freezing etc. but drying process is the most common and traditionally used
method of food preservation across India.

The following are the major advantages of preservation by dehydration process over other
methods of food preservation:
 Moisture removal by drying increases product shelf life by inhibiting microbial growth &
reducing water activity
 Reduction in product volume & weight makes it convenient for storage & transportation to
long distances
 Drying of perishable foods during season of abundance & making available during glut
season will reduce price fluctuation
 Variety of dehydrated products finds usage in several cuisines
 Economically viable compared to other preservation methods like retorting, irradiation,
freezing etc.
Current Practice of Dehydration and latest Knowhow from IIFPT
Open sun drying is one of the oldest and traditional methods used for drying of food products. It is
done by exposing the food materials to sunlight by spreading it in land or exposed surfaces. Moisture
from the food products will be removed by the solar radiation. Even though this method has been in
use for long time, it has some disadvantages like dust contamination, insect and bird attack, over
exposure etc. In order to overcome these disadvantages, drying is done in hygienic way i.e., by drying
it in a closed chamber and supplying hot air to the drying chamber.
The Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology, IIFPT, (under MoFPI) has developed a number
of solar dryers for drying agri produce. The Solar Hybrid Drye is ideally suited for our rural areas.
The IIFPT developed dryer unit has a poly-house made up of polycarbonate sheet and consists of tray
racks for keeping products, it is also equipped with Infra Red lamps , hot air blower, solar panel,
control unit and exhauster. Inverters and batteries are fixed for uninterrupted power supply.
Modifications in design, construction materials and capacity can be made in these types of dryers in
order to meet the local/specific needs and for improving drying performance.

It provides following benefits:

 Green and eco-friendly process

 Sustainable energy source with low energy requirements
 Control over drying conditions
 Protection from dust & contaminants
 Finished product free from any preservatives & chemical that may induce health hazards
 Easily applicable to drying of bulk produce
 Shorter drying times which reduces the risk of food spoilage
 Variations in nutritive value of foodstuffs are comparable with other approaches of food
preservation.
 Provision for supplementing with IR lamps, electrical or LPG backup for odd hour drying
periods to ensure faster drying process
 Relatively low investment
 Low functioning costs for long-run operations
 Ease of operations including small batch sizes

Fig 3: Mobile solar hybrid dryer with IR lamps developed by IIFPT Fig 4: Dehydration of
tomatoes
Focus Raw Materials, their Value-Added Products through Dehydration and their applications is
given in Annexure 2

III. About Project

Increase in creation of processing and skilling capacities by utilization of solar hybrid drying
techniques can bring out impactful and significant revolution in agro-food sector. In view of this,
Sector Skill Council of Food Processing (FICSI) has proposed to setup of fifty Skilling cum
Demonstration centres (SDC) at suitable locations all over India for solar dehydration of important
perishable crops with technological support from IIFPT. The skilling will be provided under the
approved NSQF aligned job role (Fruits & Vegetables Drying/Dehydration Technician FIC/Q0105)

The main objective of SDC is to impart skill training to youth and other underprivileged groups
involved in agriculture for productively utilizing the abundantly available resources of the local area
and to enable uninterrupted supply of the products to market throughout the year at affordable prices
to consumers.

The proposed project is planned keeping in mind below stated objectives:

 To promote the setting up of the Solar Hybrid Dryers at the farmers’ level so that the surplus
produce can be dried and stored.
 The technology being cost effective can be implemented by SHGs/ FPOs or individual
farmers with substantial land holding.
 This may help in reduction of volatility of prices of basic vegetables like tomato, onion and
potato
 To impart skill development of youth and provide an avenue for income generation through
dehydration.
 To reduce the dependence on cold chain storage

A. Project Approach
The present project is proposed to enhance capacities of beneficiaries in terms of knowledge, skill,
training, demonstration, production and marketing with the following approach(s):
A.1 Social empowerment
A skilled workforce is necessary to continue our fast paced growth and alleviate poverty. The
creation of skilling environment in rural/aspirational districts by utilizing the locally available
agri raw material will empower the nation/beneficiaries in terms of knowledge, awareness,
necessary skills for conversion of fresh produce to dehydrated products which will open huge
future opportunities in front of them such as entrepreneurs, facilitators, trainers, marketers etc.
 The proposed skill training will largely benefit the youth who have previously undertaken less
formal education or who are unemployed.
At the community and societal level, it will benefit the common man in getting basic
fruits, vegetables & spices in the dehydrated form at affordable prices all the year round,
ensuring reduction in storage/post-harvest losses and enabling food security by enhancing the
processing levels of agricultural produce.

A.2 Economic empowerment

Skilling cum Demonstration Centre (SDC) holds potential for economic empowerment of our
nation, farming households and other underprivileged groups by:-
 Providing skill development programmes/vocational trainings to village youth for gainful
employment
 Generating alternate occupation in rural/backward areas
 Limiting migration of youth from villages to cities
 Increase in profitability of value-added dried products by selling them at appropriate
prices through effective marketing linkages and further opening export opportunities
 Opening links for the creation of new SHG and producer organization(s) which has
further potential to add productivity in the current supply chain
 Replicating incubation model at their own end for creation of business activities such as
production, sale of value-added products, marketing, exports etc. through creation of
MSME’s and cottage industries

A.3 Partnerships & linkages

SDC holds potential for forming advantageous forward and backward linkages ensuring social
and economic benefit to the beneficiaries and to the nation. Backward linkage of the SDC
includes support from institute providing technological support, vendor support for
infrastructural development, training providers, trainers and trainees while forward linkages
will include partnerships with existing SHG/youth groups, agricultural marketing
corporations, govt. schemes, mandis, e-commerce platforms, industries, MSME’s etc.

B. Project Strategy
The strategy for the implementation of the project by FICSI is framed in a manner described below:
 The Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology has agreed to support FICSI in the
following ways-
a) Provide design of dehydrator which can be utilized at the Training Centre
 b) Recommend vendors for sourcing the dehydrators
c) Conduct Training of Trainers
d) Providing a package of practices for dehydration process with the aid of hybrid dryer for
production of various value-added agricultural produce from onion, tomato, potato,
fenugreek, coriander, ginger, garlic, turmeric, pineapple, banana etc.
 Selection of Training Providers in the identified locations for setting up the SDC
 Drawing up a financial package for implementation with Ministry of Food Processing
Industries and Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship.
 Development of skilling learning materials in Hindi and other regional languages.
 Setting up the criteria for selection of candidates
 Supporting creation of Solar Hybrid Skilling cum demonstration centres.
 Assessment and certification of trainees.
 Undertaking social impact studies to assess the benefits of the initiative

C. Project duration
The planned duration of project implementation in phase-I covering 50 districts PAN India will be
around 12 months.

D. Project Location
SDC (Skilling cum Demonstration centres) in phase-I will be located mainly in rural/backward areas
of states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Telangana, Tamil
Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, Madhya Pradesh etc.

E. Beneficiary Targeting
Special emphasis will be given mainly to disadvantage groups such as women, physically challenged,
farmer’s children, youth and other under-privileged.
Conclusion
Fluctuating prices of basic vegetables and lower processing levels of agricultural produce makes the
creation of skilling cum demonstration centres an important subject. United Nation (UN) has
estimated that around 40% of our production is getting wasted and NITI AYOG has also projected
post-harvest losses near to Rs. 90,000 crores. These losses are a huge setback for our country. These
losses can be reduced by preserving surplus fruits and vegetables in harvest season for consumption
during off-season thus preserving the interests of both farmers and consumers. There is an immense
opportunity for creating dehydration relevant skilled manpower in our nation, provide route to combat
fluctuating prices of basic vegetables by creating dehydrated value added products which can be sold
at affordable prices all the year round giving good returns to farmers, increase export share of
processed fruits/vegetables and ensure gain in employment for our youth.
Therefore, highly trained and skilled workforce in agro-food sector can be sketched into reality
through expansion and creation of food processing & preservation capacities in appropriate locations
around the country aligned with skill training and education.

Annexure 1 : Suggested locations as per 2019 National Baseline Skill Development Ranking (as
per NITI AYOG)
 S No Region State

1) North 1. Jammu and Kashmir

2. Uttarakhand
3. Uttar Pradesh
2) South 1. Tamil Nadu
2. Kerala
3) East and North Eastern States 1. West Bengal
2. Tripura
3. Assam
4. Nagaland
5. Bihar
6. Jharkhand
7. Chattisgarh
8. Orissa
4) West 1. Gujarat
2. Maharashtra

Annexure 2

Focus Raw Materials, their Value-Added Products through Dehydration and their applications

Dried fruits/vegetables means products which are preserved by removing most of their water content
following an appropriate dehydrating process. Dehydration not only removes moisture from fresh
produce and make it convenient for storage and transport but it also has the potential of creation of
variety of value added products which can be utilized further in various food and non-food
applications. The generated products are of good quality and is having export potential. It can be
estimated that future global market for dried and processed fruits, vegetables and spices is upcoming
market to watch for.
Focus raw material utilized for drying will be tomato, ginger, garlic, leafy vegetables such as
coriander, fenugreek cabbage; pineapple, fish, chilly, banana, potato, onion, jackfruit, guava, mango.
Their various value-added products its applications are presented in tabular format .
Annexure 2

Summary of focus crops/seafood used for drying, their value added products and their
application

Focus raw material Value added product(s) Use

Onion Powder, Slices, Flakes, granules, Dried onions can be added

minced onion, Shreds, paste directly to foods, Dried onion
flakes and minced onions can be
added directly to simmering
soups and stews. They will
reconstitute with the liquid and
add onion flavor.  Onion powder
can be used in dry herb mixes
because
powdered onion dissolves and
combines easily to provide
flavor

Tomato Powder, Concentrate Dried tomatoes can be used in

salads, pastas and other dishes
where intense tomato flavour is
required. It can be used as an
extra topping for salads etc.
Tomatoes can be rehydrated by
marinating in a bit of salad
dressing & can be used in
salads.

Potato Flakes, Flour, Granules, Instant dried  As a replacement for

Potatoes cornstarch or wheat flour,
dehydrated potato flour,
flakes and granules add
volume to soups, stews,
sauces, and broths.
 It can be used as bakery
ingredient because of their
subtle earthy flavor,
 dehydrated potato products
are popular in baked goods
such as breads, cakes,
muffins, etc. Moreover, they
retain water better than
substitute flours, increasing
the shelf life of bakery
goods.
 Formed product like
Burgers, Patties etc can be
conveniently made from
potato flakes.
 Potato flakes can be used
for various Indian delicacies
like Aloo bhujia, fillings for
Samosa, Dosa , Aloo
Paratha, Aloo Bonda etc.

Cauliflower Cubes It can be used instead of rice,

made into a powder and add to
meals for increased nutrition,
can be made into cauliflower
mash, it can be used to make
cauliflower pizza base

Pineapple Slices (sweetened/unsweetened), Dried chunks of pineapple can

chunks, dices, Powder be eaten out of hand, used in a
trail mix, used in baking, in
some Asian dishes or in pork
dishes, or added to leafy salads,
Whole, dried pineapples are
used for centrepieces, large
festive wreathes, and
mantlepiece decorations.
Powder can be incorporated in
 ice-creams, beverages etc. and
dried pieces can be rehydrated
for

Spices (Ginger, Garlic, Powder, Flakes, paste Dried spices and paste can be
chilly, turmeric) used in addition of cuisines for
flavor enhancement, shelf-life
enhancement and reducing
microbial load

Fish and Sea Food Dried fish meal, fish nails, fish paste, Dried fish and other products
isinglass, mussel meat, oyster shell can be exported and utilized in
powder, prawn feed, seahorse, shark variety of cusines
fin rays, shark fins, shrimp powder,
squid, fish skin, jellyfish salted,
shark bones and shark tail, shrimp
powder, agar agar (seaweed), Beche-
de-mer (sea cucumber), Bombay
duck, chitin, chitosan, clam meat,
cuttlefish, cuttlefish bones, fish
maws.

Leafy vegetables Powder, dried leaves Dehydrated greens can be

(coriander, fenugreek, incorporated into several
cabbage) cusines for enhancing
micronutrients such as Dhokla,
soup, chutney powder, chapatti
etc.

Jackfruit Dried seeds/almonds, dried bulbs in Dried jackfruit almonds can be

form of slices, flour eaten whole, crushed into flour
Jackfruit leather and incorporated in bakery
products; Slices can be made
into crispy chips and dried juice
can be converted into sliced
leather

Banana Slices, cubes, powder Slices can be made into banana

Chips; powder can be
 incorporated in ice-creams;
cubes can be added in beverages
such as milk shakes, muesli,
smoothies etc.

Guava Slices (sweetened/unsweetened), Ready-to-use dehydrated guava

guava leather products like sugar-infused
dried guava slices can be used
as fruit candies and can be
incorporated into ice-creams,
beverages etc., Guava fruit
leather can be prepared from
dried pulp

Mango Slices (sweetened/unsweetened), Dried mangoes can be used as a

mango leather snack or as part of a delicious
dessert.